"So, you're asking for my token in order to get closer to the Second Prince and use his power to support Prince Hachi?"

After listening to Xi Zhicai's words, Ellie Morin immediately realized the key point.

Xi Zhicai smiled and said, "Miss Ellie, you are indeed very clever. I am indeed planning to do so!"

"But surely a single token won't convince the Second Prince?"

Ellie Morin asked hesitantly. She knew the second prince's temperament quite well, and she didn't think that the ruthless second prince would believe in a token.

Xi Zhicai looked up at Ellie Morin and said in a deep voice, "Of course, other things are also needed. It all depends on whether Miss Ellie can make the tough decision!"

"Other things...?"

Ellie Morin paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something, her expression changed, and she fell silent.

"Alright, Miss Ellie, think it over carefully. If you're interested, you can come see me anytime!"

Seeing Ellie Morin's struggling expression, Xi Zhicai said no more and got up to walk out of the tent.

Xi Zhicai returned to his tent and then called Yu Zheng in.

"Can you disguise yourself?" Xi Zhicai asked, looking at Yu Zheng.

Yu Zheng said calmly, "That's nothing special!"

"That's good!"

Xi Zhicai nodded, then took out the jade pendant that Ellie Morin had given him, gently stroking it as his eyes flickered and he began to think about his next move.

Meanwhile, Ellie Morin summoned her seven guards to her tent.

"Miss, what's the situation? Will the Han Dynasty send troops?" Kmier asked with concern.

"The Han Dynasty won't send troops right now, but that gentleman can help me take revenge..."

Ellie Morin then recounted the gist of her conversation with Xi Zhicai to Kmir and the others.

As Ellie Morin finished speaking, the tent fell silent, and everyone's expressions became somewhat unnatural.

They weren't stupid; they understood the meaning behind Xi Zhicai's last words.

To gain the second prince's trust, besides the token, the most important thing was to bring his head back as well.

It could be the head of Ellie Morin alone, or it could be the heads of all of them.

"Miss, we went through so much trouble to escape. We can't just give up our lives because of that guy's words, can we?"

"Yes, death isn't scary. What's scary is whether that guy will keep his promise. What if he just wants to use this to get the benefits they need?"

"Miss is the last hope of the Morin family; you absolutely cannot have any accidents happen to you!"

The retainers inside the tent also spoke up, trying to persuade Ellie Morin to abandon this idea and plan.

Hearing what the guards said, Ellie Morin also looked hesitant.

Just as her subordinates said, she was not afraid of death either; what she feared was whether Xi Zhicai would really help her complete her revenge.

After much deliberation, Ellie Morin said in a deep voice, "Do you think we have any other choice but to believe them?"

"If he really only wanted to use our heads to gain a foothold in the Second Prince's court, he could have simply sent someone to kill us directly; there would have been no need for him to waste time talking to us..."

Upon hearing Ellie Morin's words, Kermiel couldn't help but say, "Miss, do you mean that gentleman was testing you to see if you were truly determined to take revenge?"

Ellie Morin said in a deep voice, "Very likely. After all, although the Morin family was destroyed, its influence in the Kushan Empire is still considerable. For this gentleman, my life is far more valuable than my death...!"

After all, if he wanted to support Prince Hachi in securing benefits for the Han Dynasty, he would certainly need some support from within the Kushan Empire!

"What you say is true, Miss!!"

After hearing Ellie Morin's analysis, the retainers were all relieved.

Ellie Morin stood up and said, "Alright, it's getting late, go and get some rest. With these people around, we're much safer now, and you can all get a good night's sleep tonight!"

"Yes, Miss!!"

The retainers agreed and then bowed and withdrew.

Meanwhile, inside Xi Zhicai's tent, Dian Wei, Yu Zheng, and several of Yu Ji's other disciples had all gathered together.

After glancing at the group, Xi Zhicai turned his gaze to Dian Wei and asked in a deep voice, "General Dian Wei, how are the guards doing?"

Dian Wei patted his chest: "Don't worry, sir, all the guards have been arranged properly, and I guarantee there won't be any problems!"

Xi Zhicai then asked, "What about the Kushan caravan?"

"I've also arranged for a team to guard the area, so they can report any movement immediately..."

"That's good!"

Xi Zhicai smiled, then turned to look at the other disciples behind Yu Zheng.

"Gentlemen, you need to leave the group in advance and enter the Kushan Empire. Use your medical skills to make a name for yourselves and pave the way for our next plan!"

"Yes, sir!"

The disciples didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.

Xi Zhicai then stood up and said, "Alright, everyone go back now. Get some rest tonight, and we'll continue our journey early tomorrow morning!"

Dian Wei stepped forward and asked, "Sir, do you think those bandits might launch a sneak attack tonight? After all, they've chased us all the way here; they obviously can't just run away, can they?"

Xi Zhicai smiled and said, "It's certain that they won't give up, but it definitely won't be tonight. Don't worry!"

"Okay!"

Upon hearing this, Dian Wei said no more and then turned and walked out.

Before long, the sound of snoring filled the makeshift camp.

...

On a sand dune a hundred miles west of the camp, the bandits who had scattered during the day gathered together again.

No one expected that after a long chase, just when they were about to complete their mission, a Han Chinese caravan suddenly appeared, ruining their mission and causing them to lose a lot of men.

Several bandit leaders sat together, their faces grim. Opposite them stood nine figures shrouded in black robes.

These people exuded a chilling aura, like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, sending shivers down one's spine.

In this world, in every country and region, there have always been two of the oldest professions: prostitutes and assassins.

For any powerful and influential person, they usually keep a group of loyal followers who only obey their orders, in order to achieve some ulterior motives.

In Kushan, the struggle between the three princes was not as simple as it seemed on the surface; often, a capable subordinate of one of them would die inexplicably.

For ordinary people, that might mean they have contracted some kind of illness or had some kind of accident.

But for those important figures, those are things that can be artificially created.